At its annual general meeting in June, the New South Wales branch of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion (EFAC) farewelled its retiring Chairman, Bishop Ray Smith, Sydney Diocese's former Georges River Regional Bishop. He was replaced by Bishop Peter Brain of Armidale.

Child protection and the handling of sexual abuse claims will be the most important issues on the agenda at General Synod this year, says retiring General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Australia, the Rev Dr Bruce Kaye.

Several prominent Sydney Anglicans are recipients in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

The parish of Blackheath is undergoing the difficult process of reform with the impending closure of two branch churches.

The Sydney Standing Committee has bolstered the heavyweight pressure being put on the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lambeth Commission to penalise the Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA) over the controversial appointment of Bishop V. Gene Robinson.

Church plant of the month. The quiet voice on the other end of the phone is Alex Ho, IT consultant, gospel worker and, believe it or not, a missionary sent from Cabramatta to Pyrmont. He is an honourary worker at Peninsula Community Church helping people “to know Jesus, to know him more and more, and to share that with others,” he says.

The recent tragedy involving Daniela Dawes, who killed her autistic son after struggling to care for him, has highlighted the need for programs that offer respite care to families with a child with a disability.

God is being praised because Sydney Diocese's special school has been saved from closure, writes Madeleine Collins.